From there, the damage mounted: out-of-control drinking, copious amounts of female hormones to look like a woman, divorce and loss of family, loss of career, and drug abuse, culminating with gender affirming surgery at age 42. Filmed over five years in Kansas City, Transhood chronicles the lives of four young people (aged 4, 7, 12, and 15 at the start of filming) and their families as they navigate growing up transgender in America's heartland. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); You can unsubscribe any time. Transhood accomplishes the opposite of what it set out to do. 1,655 likes. Phoenix initially says they are a girl-boy and later identifies as a girl, before identifying as male at age 7, and Transhood follows Phoenixs parents as they respond to their childs evolving identity. [10/30/20 - 09:00 AM] HBO's "Transhood" Debuts November 12 Filmed over the course of five years in Kansas City, the documentary is an inspiring chronicle of the lives of four young people and . Their emotional processing even feels, at times, more compelling than their childrens, perhaps because Lieses team edits the film around the parents rather explosive confessions. November 24, 2020 by Murphy Moroney. We need to stop pretending that doctors have scientific backing for their recommendations to transition children socially and medically. Its something you discover about yourself, he says. Here is just some of it. Jay, 12; Avery, 7; Leena, 15; and Phoenix, 4. The kids and their families are generally open about the challenges of growing up transgender and how it . Three of the children are far too young even to begin to think about sex or what gender they are. Leena, Phoenix, and Jay, ranging in age from 4 to 15) as they redefine "coming of age." These young people and their families reveal the intimate realities of how they deal with the new era of social media, bathroom bills, gender expansion, and an often-changing political landscape, not . It confirms the pain, uncertainty, and endless search for holistic personhood. Now 19, Leena is one of the subjects in Transhood, a new HBO MAX documentary that profiles four transgender children and their families in the Kansas City area. So I had no idea what transgender meant. While their parents are supportive at first, once Phoenix de-transitions and begins identifying as a boy, their mother does a complete 180, calling transgender identity "a mental disorder.". As well as hoping that more trans and non-binary youth see themselves represented onscreen in Transhood, Liese also wants the film to show parents and others how to be allies and support people through transition. The younger subjects pubescent Jay, elementary schooler Avery and preschool-aged Phoenix are developmentally less self-possessed than teenage Leena, so Liese (and the audience) must instead rely on their parents to articulate their childrens emotional states. As a Kansas City native, Liese knows the midwestern city well and was able to deeply embed with the four families she followed. Absolutely, it is, I ain't gonna lie at all, but still the bottom line is you tell your kid, 'Hey, hit the dishes. However, at least one scene should serve as a warning to any parent thinking of allowing their child to transition. Genre: Documentary. Avery, Jay, and Leena, at puberty, each chose to undergo some degree of gender-affirmative medical transition as well. There is not a lot of trans representation in media, so I knew I had to tell their stories." The documentary follows 12-year-old Jay, 15-year-old Leena, 7-year-old Avery and 4-year-old Phoenix. I think it had the most of her voice, rather than her parents (which certainly is affected by age, as she was a high school freshman when filming started). Magazines, depictions of transgender people onscreen, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, various levels of government have enacted major changes, Or create a free account to access more articles. by Jonathon Van Maren 12 . Im excited, and now I have the mindset that if people dont like it, thats O.K., he says. Directed by Sharon Liese, it follows four children who identify as . My heart goes out to these children who also are being groomed into a transgender life. My first few years after surgery were exhilarating, but unhappiness steadily grew until I decide to detransition back to life as Walt around eight years later. Phoenixs parentdivorce, partly over their disagreedment with their childs claims, while other parents get praise for their advocacy. Long Waits, Short Appointments, Huge Bills. A pivotal moment in the film shows Jay and Bryce on the phone to Jays girlfriend Mildred, after photographs of Jay pre-transition circulate on social media. The film follows four children, beginning at ages four, seven, twelve, and fifteen, as they "redefine coming-of-age". The documentary began shooting when Leena was was around 15. The youngest subject in the film, Phoenix, is just four years old when filming began. A young "transgender" child has gone off-script during the recent filming of a new documentary, saying that switching genders has "ruined my life." Avery, a biological male who lives his life as a girl, blasted his activist mother in the upcoming pro-transgender documentary entitled "Transhood.". Their pathos, however, doesnt always localize where youd expect. I quickly realized that is not the question. Unlock premium content, ad-free browsing, and access to comments for just $4/month. Grandpa was often out for hours at a time, towing cars. Grandma, a seamstress, stayed at home fashioning dresses for customers. But if it aims to mimic Richard Linklaters time-stretching Boyhood in its observations of change both large and small, those efforts fall short. TRANSHOOD. Directed by Sharon Liese, the movie hints at more thoughtful threads, like looking at the obstacles of insurance coverage or negotiating how to distance oneself from internet fame. To which he responds, Yeah, I did, but that was a really stupid silly mistake, and now I dont.. Transhood: Directed by Sharon Liese. We had an amazing time listening to our CEO Nadhmi Alnasr inspirartional speech. 20. When her mom tries to wheedle her into appearing at yet another event, the little girl finally lashes out: I just dont even wanna have a book. The documentary also sidelines the parents who resist the transgender demands and instead help their children accept their unavoidable biology. Sarcastic seven-year-old Avery, via her mothers political activism, soon becomes a literal poster child for trans rights. The location was also a backdrop for the shifting attitudes around and support networks for trans people. The secret crossdressing game with grandma went on for about two years and ended abruptly when my mom and dad learned about it. I hope that the documentary opens peoples eyes and opens peoples minds., Avery, one of the subjects of 'Transhood,' with her mother Debi, Leena, whose later adolescence is documented in 'Transhood', What America's Richest Ski Town's Handling of COVID-19 Shows. Avery, the 7-year-old, is very obviously used by his weird mother as a prop for her political activism. February 05, 2021. I see now that medical transitioninjecting female hormones and undergoing multiple surgical proceduresto destroy the male me was a form of self-abuse not unlike drinking to excess. Part of the films goal is to frame these kids as just kids: rowdy, hyper, moody. These caregivers magnetism remains inverse to the age of their offspring: The younger the subject, the more important the parents narrative. I just thought I was gonna have a gay son and it was hard for me to put my finger on it. The film follows four families in Kansas City, Missouri, all of which include a child who identifies as transgender. All the while, the older kids navigate the minefield of adolescence. But it is not love, and can have catastrophic consequences. I hear from so many distraught adults and parents of children about the regrettable and often gruesome consequences of being indoctrinated into changing genders that I assembled 30 representative stories into a book, Trans Life Survivors, to give a glimpse of what the survivors of changing genders have to say about what they endured. Phoenix at 4 is seen identifying as a girl-boy. He later identifies as a girl and by age 7 is seen identifying as male. I just dont want to even have a book. Any sane person would feel compassion for both the children and for the confused parents. Meanwhile, as Averys mother dives into national community organizing, her young daughters fame soars and soon the girl is authoring childrens books, appearing on magazine covers and becoming a locus of public disgust. Going through puberty as someone youre not is a little harder.. . 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In a landmark case in the United Kingdom high court brought by two people treated as children at the nations sole gender clinic, Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS), judges were surprised that GIDS did not track data about their patients, even while under their care. Today, watching this documentary, I marvel at how the events of my childhood groomed me into believing that identifying as the opposite sex was the solution to my gender confusion. When we started with Avery and her transition, we didnt feel like there was anywhere to turn to, we didnt know who to talk to or where to go, and we felt desperately lost, says Tom, Averys dad, during the film. Fortunately, I finally woke up from the delusion, got sober, worked through the pain of childhood with several capable psychologists. Clean your room. My friends who have a white mom and a black dad are being discriminated against. Averys hair is dyed purple and pink. If it's your family, your dynamic, your child, you make the decisions based on your gut not what anybody else's opinions are. Why arent we talking about that anymore? Its ruined my life, and now everyone in this world is going to know. Such is the case with HBO's new documentary Transhood, which follows four transgender individuals Leena, Phoenix, Avery, . Here he tries to explain how he feels but she disregards it. It takes place over five years. These kids frustrations range from gender dysphoria to celebrity fatigue to being outed by others before they were ready to do it on their own cumbersome ordeals even many adults wouldnt be able to shoulder. I had no knowledge of what it meant to be transgender, Mike told TODAY. Avery Jackson, a 13-year-old trans activist whom you may recognize from the HBO Max documentary Transhood, has grown a lot over the five-year filming period . The drugs are not approved for this use and the outcomes are harmful. It's a moving portrait of its subjects' - ages 4, 7, 12, and 15 at the start of filming - childhoods . There are other people hurting. vemos a Leena luchando por su objetivo de hacerse una ciruga de confirmacin de gnero al cumplir 19 aos. I think Leena's story was my favorite. "I've known Leena since the day she was born and have taken care of her since she was two months old so I've seen lots of changes," her grandmother told TODAY. All Rights Reserved. Leena's family requested that their last names be withheld to protect their privacy. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Transhood rolls fluidly over the years, as the children grow into their bodies and gender expressions, consider hormone blockers and, for Leena, gender confirmation surgery. For example, Psychology Today quickly removed a November 20 article which described how children reject their parents in favor of pro-transgender voices: Amid this pull, parents may be experiencing something likeparentingdysphoria, as they fight to preserve their relationships with children who may hear from other sources that their parents are the toxic ones. Sign up to get unfiltered news delivered straight to your inbox. Leenas ambition speaks to that assuredness, even as her physiological dysphoria continues to smother her. Transgender Institute also runs support groups, therapy and mentoring for its young trans community in Kansas City. These kids and their families show us the intimate realities of how gender is re-shaping the family next door in a unique and unprecedented chronicle of growing up transgender in . These kids frustrations range from gender dysphoria to celebrity fatigue to being outed by others before they were ready to do it on their own. I lived as a woman for the next eight years. Like so many others, the HBO Max documentary Transhood fails on so many levels. He now feels more outgoing, and more open to talking about the documentary. 4-year-old Phoenixbuffs the transition encouraged by his parents and we later learn that he accepts his male sex. But now?, Avery: Yeah, I did but that was a stupid, silly mistake and now I dont., To that end, 4-year-old Phoenix, who begins the movie by wearing dresses and referring to himself as a girl-boy, ultimately reverts back to identifying as male. As scenes from Transhood have circulated on social media, critics have called for a boycott and equated the film's troubling content to child abuse. At first I was happy, but when the giddy effect wore off, staring me in the face was the reality that I was an alcoholic who hadnt dealt with pain inflicted on me in childhood. "Transhood" leads with its most prominent subject, Avery Jackson, a rainbow-haired preteen transgender girl who became something of a symbol for the movement following her appearance on a National Geographic cover in 2017. . Like being a teenager is just hard enough on its own, Leena says during one scene. Even over five years, observations about them remain shallow. Powered by Reelgood. , Sharing their most vulnerable moments, the parents reveal their ambivalence, doubts, and missteps as they themselves transform over time.. Modest Fashion Beauty Lifestyle Family Her parents are supportive, their concerns respectful yet reasonable . 18, Copyright 2022 NEWSPUNCH, LLC. pic.twitter.com/lMTJQy1Ycl. These children deserve far, far better. We're really not trying to change people's minds Leena said. The other two, 7-year-old Avery (a boy who identifies as a girl) and 4-year-old Phoenix (the same) are not receiving hormone drugs but they are dressed in female clothing and referred to as girls. A landmark study by Dr Kristina Olson in 2019 showed that gender-nonconforming kids who go on to transition already have a strong sense of their true identityone that differs from their assigned gender. In the gentle and absorbing HBO documentaryTranshood, director Sharon Liese conducts a microcosmic kind of longitudinal study on childhood gender transition. From her dad taking her bathing suit shopping to a nail salon trip with her grandmother, Leenas bond with her family seems unbreakable. "I hope that the documentary opens people's eyes and opens people's minds," says one of its subjects Liese also follows Avery, who was 7 when filming began, as she sits for a portrait for the cover of National Geographics 2017 Gender Revolution issue and faces the pressure that comes with media attention. children who believe they are the opposite sex. We just were not sure what the right way to go about it was, Cathy said. Some older children make the decision along with parents and doctors, like Jay did when he was 12, to take hormone blockers to delay puberty. Its these scenes that help to normalize, for viewers, the transition process for children and young people, emphasizing that it is a social process first, during which they may alter their hairstyle, clothing or pronoun preference before considering medical changes. 17 States Support Texas Lawsuit Filed With The Supreme Court, MADE IN CHINA: Swalwell Blames Trump for Chinese Spy Story Theyre Not Gonna Silence Me, by Sean Adl-Tabatabai in Sponsored The boy here is 4 years old. Cmo es Transhood, el documental de HBO que sigue de cerca a cuatro chicos trans . Throughout Transhood, we watch moms and dads struggle with and also support their childrens transitions. A young "transgender" child went off-script during the recent filming of a new documentary, warning liberals that switching genders has "ruined my life.". If I sell my book, its going to be on the news along with me for like the 50th time at this point, and its just going to make my life worse, Avery says. Still, by far the most compelling family is Phoenixs. Today marked as my last day with NEOM and It is a hard decision for me to make. "I've known Leena since the day she was born and have taken care of her since she was two months old so I've seen lots of changes, Shirley told TODAY Parents. Leena, Phoenix, and Jay, ranging in age from 4 to 15) as they redefine "coming of age." . (See Stella Morabitos book review in The Federalist.). 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